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  health > children > story page AIDSAlternative MedicineCancerDiet & FitnessHeartMenSeniorsWomen

When children pump iron

October 13, 1999
Web posted at: 3:39 PM EDT (1939 GMT)


In this story:

Fit or fat

The right way

RELATEDSicon



By Miriam Nelson, Ph.D.

From Hercules to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the image of the muscular hero has inspired children for generations. And now, perhaps more than ever, physical education experts at the National Strength and Conditioning Association in Lincoln, Nebraska, are encouraging kids to beef up.

Children are spending less and less time playing outdoors and more and more time watching TV or tapping at their computers, according to a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in 1996. As a result, they're getting heavier.

Over the past two decades, the number of American children who are overweight shot up from 10 percent to 25 percent, according to a 1998 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only half of U.S. children get as much exercise as they need, the researchers found, and as a result, kids are displaying signs of heart disease and diabetes before they even reach their teens.

Fit or fat

The good news is that almost any kind of vigorous physical activity can help stem the tide of obesity. In addition, studies published in numerous journals, including the 1996 issues of the American Journal of Public Health and Nutrition Review, have found that physically active children are far less susceptible to emotional problems, are more likely to stay away from drugs, resist smoking cigarettes, delay sexual activity; develop more self-confidence and higher self-esteem, and even get better grades.

Weight training offers particular advantages to children who are overweight and struggle to keep up with their peers in more traditional childrens' sports, such as soccer and running. By lifting weights, these kids can improve their strength, endurance and coordination, enhancing their performance in other sports. And when they lift weights, children can exercise in privacy, away from the critical eyes of their schoolmates.

On the other hand, the impetus for weight lifting should come from the children themselves; children who prefer to spend time doing other types of physical activity should be encouraged to do so.

The right way

As with any sport, however, children can injure themselves if they take on too much weight or lift in the wrong position. Children should not be treated as miniature adults, particularly in terms of intensity. And training principles for adults must not be imposed on them.

In 1996, the National Strength and Conditioning Association laid out guidelines for children who want to lift weights:

  • Children should use machines that are properly designed for their size. Machines designed for adults are not safe for most children because children's arms and legs are not long enough to use them correctly. Many children can use only light free weights. Weight-lifting equipment specifically designed for children is available, but even doing squats while holding a broomstick may be a good starting point.
  • Children must be supervised by professional trainers.
  • Supervising trainers should encourage children to achieve at their own personal best and discourage children from competing with their peers.
  • Children can begin around the time they would participate in organized sports (about age 7), but each child's readiness needs to be evaluated on an individual basis with careful attention given to their ability to follow directions.
  • Fitness professionals must closely supervise all children during resistance-training exercises.
  • Children must be encouraged to drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise.
  • Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D., is the Director of the Center for Physical Fitness at Tufts University. She is author of the international best-sellers, "Strong Women Stay Young" and "Strong Women Stay Slim."Copyright 1999 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.



    RELATEDS AT WebMD:
    Weight-training injuries in children and adolescents
    A sensible guide to weight training

    RELATED SITES:
    National Strength and Conditioning Association
    Study on children and obesity from Pediatrics
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